'Baseless': Kukis Slam Manipur CM's Labelling of Tribe Members As 'Terrorists'

"We have been made homeless in our own home," a Manipuri protester said.

Large parts of Sugnu village in Manipur were set ablaze during clashes on Sunday, 28 May. 

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint) 

A day after Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh's purported labelling of Kukis as "militants" and "terrorists" – terms he had used during a press conference on Sunday, 28 May – several from the community called the allegations "baseless".

"In retaliatory and defensive operations against militant groups who are using sophisticated arms against the civilian population, around 30 militants have been killed in different areas," he said during the press conference.

This came amid a fresh bout of violence in Manipur on Sunday, during which at least five people were reportedly killed.

"The fight is between the state and central forces against the terrorists who are trying to break Manipur. We will take strong action. It is not a fight between communities," Singh had told the press.

He also said that the "terrorists" were using AK-47s, M-16 and sniper rifles to attack both civilians and security forces.

'How Much More Will They Vilify Us?' Kukis Slam Singh's Statement

While speaking to The Quint, Kukis said that Singh's allegations of members of their tribe being "militants" were baseless.

“So now, in the eyes of Chief Minister N Biren Singh, we Kukis have gone from being poppy cultivators, illegal immigrants from Myanmar to terrorists now. How much more will they vilify us?“ Suanmuanlian Tonsing, a PhD scholar from the University of Michigan, told The Quint.

Tonsing is currently in Delhi volunteering and helping out the tribals who have fled to the national capital.

"The Meities have already set a narrative of us being illegal immigrants and poppy cultivators," Tonsing added. He alleged that tribal villages in Sugnu were set ablaze on Sunday, 28 May, by Meitei mobs and that tribal houses are still being torched.

Large parts of Sugnu village in Manipur were set ablaze during clashes on Sunday, 28 May. 

DS Mung, an independent researcher based out of Manipur who has been extensively volunteering with the tribals, claimed that on Sunday, 28 May, Sungu village in Kakching district of the state (that is majorly inhabited by Kukis) was set ablaze.

He also believes that the chief minister’s claims about the so-called Kuki terrorists using sophisticated weapons are "baseless".

Civilians taking refuge amid the violence in Manipur. 

"Police commandos are working in tandem with these groups, plus, along with Arambai Tenggol, a radical Meitei group. So, when CM Biren Singh declared war on tribals, it is a blitzkrieg of these forces, undergrounds, radicals and the state's apparatus on us."

DS Mung to The Quint

Manipur Tribals Stage Protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar 

Meanwhile, hundreds of women from the Kuki, Mizo, Zomi, and Hmar tribes staged a demonstration at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Monday, 29 May, demanding "fair intervention" by the Centre to end the tensions in Manipur. This came on the same day Home Minister Amit Shah visited Manipur to hold discussions regarding the ongoing situation.

Several protesters raised slogans while carrying posters and the tricolour, even as it rained in the national capital.

"When I woke up this morning, I saw our chief minister has said Kukis are terrorists... We have been made homeless in our own home," a protester said from the dais, as per news agency PTI.

Another protester said, "We are Indians, our forefathers have been freedom fighters," adding, "We are not illegal immigrants."

Meanwhile, the Manipur-based Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) demanded the resignation of CM Biren Singh over the violence and the imposition of President's rule in the state.

They also condemned the actions taken by state authorities over the last few weeks, and urged the Centre to provide more paramilitary forces to safeguard innocent villagers.

"While the SoO groups are in their designated camps, the poor tribal villagers (are) defending their villages with just a handful of single barrels guns and a few licensed guns were collected from them by the Army leaving them helpless or leaving them to die at the hands of the state-led machinery (sic)," they said in a statement.

On the other hand, several reports suggest that civilians are being treated for bullet wounds after Sunday's violence. Media reports also suggest that the purported clashes began after the army initiated a combing operation in an alleged bid to “de-arm” communities.

News agency PTI also quoted a security official who claimed that the house of BJP MLA Khwairakpam Raghumani Singh at Uripok in Imphal West was vandalised and two of his vehicles set ablaze.

In the recent spate of ethnic clashes that began earlier this month in Manipur, over 75 people are reported to have lost their lives.

(With inputs from PTI.)